Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 49kcal
When making clam miso soup, you don’t need to use dashi powder, as clams add nice flavor to the stock.
Print Recipe
- 1 lb Manila or littleneck clams Note 1
- 1/4 cup sea salt
- 2-3 tablespoons red or white miso paste or a combination of two Note 2
- 4 oz silken tofu cubed, optional
- 2 green onions green portion only, thinly sliced, optional
To prepare clams:
Scrub the clams under running cold water and rinse them with cold water a few times until water run clear.
In a large bowl, combine 4 cups of cold water and salt. Stir until salt is dissolved. Add the washed clams and soak the clams in the refrigerator for minimum of 20 minutes or up to 2 hours. Soaking in salt water, helps to draw out the sand.
To cook clams:
Add 5 cups of cold water in a large saucepan. Add clams and bring it to a boil over high heat. Skim off the foam on top with a spoon.
A minute or so after the water boils, the clams should open, which means they’re cooked. (TIP: It’s very important to keep an eye on clams. It takes just about a minute to cook the clams once the water comes to a boil. If cooked for longer than a minute, they will turn tough and rubbery!)
To make miso soup:
Immediately reduce the heat to low and transfer about 1 cup of stock to a cup and stir in miso paste. Stir until miso paste is fully dissolved.
Pour the miso mixture back into the stock.
Add tofu and green onion, if using. Simmer gently for 2 minutes and serve. (TIP: Don’t bring the soup to a boil after adding miso paste!)
Note 1: Traditional Japanese clam miso soup calls for asari, or Manila clams. These are hard-shell steamer clams that have tender sweet meat. You can also use littleneck clams instead of Manila clams.
Note 2: White miso paste is milder, while red miso paste has a stronger taste. I prefer to use a combination of both. If you’re new to miso soup, I recommend buying white miso paste.
Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 49kcal
Carbohydrates: 4g
Protein: 5g
Fat: 1g
Sugar: 1g
Sodium: 7495mg